


Keep Reading

by tainted_quill



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Books, Fluff, Implied Romance, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-13
Updated: 2017-10-13
Packaged: 2019-01-16 19:06:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12348804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tainted_quill/pseuds/tainted_quill
Summary: “He was so used to his boring routine and being overlooked by nearly everyone he crossed paths with. But on this day, not only had his routine been intercepted, he had also met a person who showed signs of being genuinely interested in him. It was almost as if he had stepped into the storyline of one of the books he had loved so dearly.”A Bookstore AU.





	Keep Reading

**Author's Note:**

  * For [강마루 (Kookienism)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kookienism/gifts).



> for my beloved muse, maruru. you said you wanted fluff, so you will get fluff. ;)

 

Blindly reaching to his right, Jaemin's hand hovered over the small table where his iced coffee sat. Seated on one of the plush armchairs of the bookstore, the chestnut brown haired teen was engrossed in yet another enthralling novel that he had stumbled across. This was probably the third one this week… and it was only Tuesday.

This had become a habit for him quite a while ago; where he would enter the bookstore, browse through whatever genre section he felt like reading that day, find a story that caught his interest, and spend the rest of the day reading it. Said habit had grown even worse with the beginning of summer vacation. Usually, Jaemin would be forced to rush through the process, immediately leaving the shop after purchasing a volume or two. With homework needing to be done, he would skim past a couple of problems, scribble down a few answers, and shove the rest into his bag to complete either on the way to school or in between classes. His free time, of course, involved reading his newly bought publications. However, with school now being dismissed, Jaemin had the opportunity to linger around the bookstore, losing himself in mysteries, romances, and dramatics.

Finally finding the top of his cup, Jaemin grabbed it and brought it to his lips. He took an absentminded sip of the sweetened liquid, his eyes never leaving the paperback’s pages. Today, he had chosen a story about a sickly young lady who falls in love with a medical student. The plot had hooked his attention the second he learned of the girl’s terminal illness. Curiosity getting the better of him, he was filled with the need to know if the lovers would find happiness or if the girl’s condition would deny it. So far, he had only gotten up to the point where they met.

Normally, Jaemin was an exceptionally fast reader - he could flip through a five hundred page novel in less than twenty four hours if he really wanted to. Yet it appeared that on this particular day, everyone in the city of Seoul seemed to have the same idea as him. Customers were coming in left and right and, soon enough, what he knew as a generally quiet store was transformed into one of the worst environments for reading.

Kids were causing a ruckus, parents were complaining, preppy middle schoolers were gossiping, and a pair of senior citizens were debating over various pieces of literature. Slowly becoming frustrated, Jaemin sighed. He squinted at his book, stubbornly intent on finishing his current chapter. The noises surrounding him continued to buzz in his ears, but with the right amount of concentration, he was able to isolate himself. As if trapped inside his own little bubble, he had managed to ignore whatever distractions were present.

 _Finally_ , he had thought to himself. _I can find out what happens without interruptions_.

And for a good two hours, he was able to accomplish just that. Eventually, those who have disrupted his peace before had exited the shop, allowing him to relax. Eagerly, he had carried on in his reading, drinking up every detail that was written out. He had become so consumed in the novel that he had successfully read through half of the book in record time. What prevented him from finishing, though, was actually a fault of his own.

Again, Jaemin had reach out to drink his beverage without bothering to look in its direction. Having set it down just a tad bit farther than last time, he was forced to extend his arm tentatively, searching. Standing not even a foot away from the brunet's spot was an employee in charge of restocking the shelves with new copies. Both of them seemed painfully unaware of each other and this was where they had made their mistake.

First, the employee had backed away from the shelves, admiring his neat organization skills. Second, he had accidentally bumped into the table that was behind him. In doing so, he had moved the piece of furniture ever so slightly. Perhaps, if Jaemin actually took the time to spare his drink a glance when grabbing it, he could have seen this. But instead, his misguided hand had ended up knocking his coffee over.

Cursing under his breath, the brunet finally tore his attention away from his book to see that brown liquid had spread all over the floor. The next thing he noticed was a boy standing at the edge of the puddle, looking just as surprised as he was. He couldn't have been much older than Jaemin; with his smooth skin, blond hair and mesmerizing, brown eyes. His attire was casual, and if it weren't for the green lanyard with his employee ID attached, Jaemin would have thought that he was a typical customer.

“Ah… I’m sorry,” he managed to speak up after what felt like an eternity of staring at the flawless male. Quickly snapping back to his senses, he shook his head. “I’ll get it cleaned up as soon as I can!”

He bowed to the other before turning away to go get some napkins from the nearby coffee stand. A hand gripping his wrist had stopped him, though, and he glanced back to see the blond chuckling. His cheeks heated up at both the contact and the melodious laugh that hit his ears.

“Don't worry, I can take care of this,” the handsome boy assured coolly. “Besides, it's part of my job,” he added before asking Jaemin to wait for a few seconds. Standing a bit awkwardly, the brunet did as he was told, watching as the blond disappeared and soon came back with a mop and a bucket. He bit his lip as he observed the other wipe up the mess he had created.

Guilt steadily formed within him and once the chore was complete, he blurted out a, “Let me make it up to you.” When the blond only shot him a puzzled look, he blushed some more and sheepishly scratched his head. “I mean, I just feel bad, you know? I come here all the time and I’ve never caused anyone trouble before. So now I feel as though I should repay you or something…”

He stared hard at the beige tiles beneath his feet as he awaited an answer, expecting to simply be laughed at. When he heard the other sigh instead, he looked up. A small smile was present on those soft lips as the blond gazed at him in amusement.

“I told you not to worry about it,” he reminded him gently. “But if you absolutely insist, then how about you make it up to me by joining me for lunch? I’m going on break in a bit and I’d love some company.”

“Oh, uh…” Jaemin began, the idea of being asked on something so similar to a date not helping his nerves at all. Regardless of his shyness, he told himself that he had made a promise. It wouldn't be that bad. “Sure,” he agreed, his heart swelling at the sweet smile he received in return.

“Great,” was the employee’s single word reply.

 

 

 

 

Jaemin poked at his untouched slice of cake with his tiny, silver fork. The blond, who he had learned was named Jeno, had bought it for him as a ‘thank you’ for coming. Of course, he had immediately protested, saying that he shouldn't impose, but the other insisted. After being handed the dessert, they had chosen to sit at a small table in the corner of the bakery, right next to the front window. The cozy cake shop was built not too far away from the bookstore - probably three or four lots down - and due to its vicinity, Jeno had seen it as the perfect place to sit and chat.

The brunet had to admit that the bakery was nice. The ambiance was calming and the sizing was just right. As he proceeded to look around though, he noticed Jeno gazing at him, a contented smirk upon his face.

“You said you come to the bookstore everyday, correct?” The blond asked out of nowhere, bringing Jaemin's attention toward him.

With a nod, he gave a short “yes” and then a “why?” He couldn't find it in himself to say much more, for those hypnotizing irises were burning into him. They were effective in shutting him up, making him terribly flustered. He could tell that the other male knew this, it being clear in his expression, and it only made him more anxious. Jeno decided that it was adorable.

“No particular reason,” he easily dismissed the question, resting his chin in his palm. “I just can't believe we haven't met sooner.”

His smouldering stare was still trained diligently onto the brunet and Jaemin decided to dig into his cake, if only to buy him more time before speaking.

“Well, there _is_ school… and I’m sure you have classes. Maybe our schedules didn't match up until now.” He offered this pensively, looking up at the blond through his eyelashes as he raised a piece of cake to his mouth. Jeno chuckled.

“Either way, I’m glad. If that little coffee incident hadn't happened, I probably never would have seen you. It would have been a shame to have missed out on getting to know someone as cute as you.”

Hearing this, Jaemin had to keep himself from accidentally choking on his dessert because _wow_ did this guy have such a way with words. He didn't know if the blond was simply a natural flirt or if he was purposely trying to make Jaemin's cheeks permanently pink. But whatever the case, he was flattered to say the least. Never before had he been admired by someone so attractive and he would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it.

“I’m still sorry for that,” he piped up and Jeno merely shook his head.

“Don't be.”

They sat in silence for the next few minutes. Jaemin regarded his plate more than the boy in front of him, knowing full well that he was still being watched. It wasn't until Jeno had began scanning the bakery, studying posters, products and the like, that Jaemin stole a glance.

He was still in awe at the events that had occurred today. He was so used to his boring routine and being overlooked by nearly everyone he crossed paths with. But on this day, not only had his routine been intercepted, he had also met a person who showed signs of being genuinely interested in him. It was almost as if he had stepped into the storyline of one of the books he had loved so dearly.

“You know,” he began, breaking the silence as he recalled the sick girl and her significant other. “I was reading this before we bumped into each other. Maybe you’ve heard of it?” He slid the book onto the table, hoping to start some sort of discussion over it. Surely, if the blond was around various novels all day, he had to have at least seen the title once or twice.

When Jeno's eyes lit up with recognition, he perked up.

“I have, actually,” Jeno stated with fondness. “It's one of my personal favorites.”

“Really?” Jaemin inquired, inching forward in excitement.

He had found another avid reader only once in his lifetime, and that was his old great aunt who had passed away about a year ago. Ever since that time, he struggled to find someone to take her place in the long, intellectual conversations they had about the one thing he loved most. But now that he discovered that the boy across from him not only handled but _read_ those stories, he couldn't contain his happiness.

“You read the whole thing?”

“Of course,” Jeno replied confidently, appreciating the sparkle in the brunet's eyes. As precious as he thought Jaemin's blushing self was, this new side of him was much more inviting. “My favorite part is when Jisoo tells off that nurse. I wish I could have seen the look on her face.”

“Or what about that time when Seunghyun set off the sprinklers in front of the hospital?” Jaemin added, his eyes lighting up as he laughed.

“Ah, Doctor Jung got so mad!”

“But Jisoo loved it.”

“That, she did,” the blond mused, sitting back in his seat comfortably.

Casually, he stretched his arms out, checking the time on his watch. Seeing that he only had roughly five minutes before his second shift started, he took it as a good time to walk back to the bookstore.

“I need to get back to work soon,” he informed the brunet as he went to stand. In a flash, Jaemin had gotten up as well. This time, it was his hand on the blond’s wrist, desperately keeping him in place.

“Wait,” Jaemin had nearly shouted, not wanting the moment to end. His gaze soon matched up with the other's and he flushed, feeling embarrassed at his sudden outburst. Reading his body language easily, Jeno grinned.

“You’ll be back tomorrow, won't you? I’ll see you then.”

Hesitantly, Jaemin released his grip on Jeno, giving him a curt nod.

“That's true,” he confessed meekly before chewing on his bottom lip. He remained like that, unaware of what he should say next as he stood awkwardly for the second time that day. Perceiving this as a cue to leave, Jeno bobbed his head as if to say ‘goodbye’. Yet again, he was not allowed to depart by slender fingers on his arm.

“At least tell me what happens before you go,” Jaemin stuttered out, hoping his slight clinginess wasn't annoying. Luckily, Jeno only wore the amused expression he had for the majority of the date.

“Do they end up together or does she die?”

Taking his time in answering, the blond stepped closer to Jaemin. He smirked at him, brushing chestnut brown bangs out of Jaemin's face and loving the surprised reaction he got in return. Slowly, he placed a featherlight kiss on his forehead. He could hear the breath catch in Jaemin's throat and he smirked even wider.

Pulling away for good, he gave him one last dazzling smile that made his eyes curve up into crescents, before making his way over to the exit.

“Keep reading,” was all he offered and Jaemin knew;

He’d be doing a lot of that.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> this may or may not have a continuation. ;)


End file.
